Tag: protest

Trump Bans CNN Reporter from White House after Firing Attorney General – Nationwide Protests Today

 

This blog is really, really not a political blog.  I’m a civil rights advocate, not a partisan.

However, the President today took two steps that cross a line from “politics I may not like” into “authoritarian behavior we should not tolerate.”

First, Trump demanded, and obtained, the “resignation” of U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions.  A.G. Sessions was a regressive who struggled to concede that heroin was more dangerous than marijuana, and no one on either side of the aisle would be sad to see him go but for the obvious reason for the firing: Sessions had recused himself from the Mueller investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election instead of shutting down the investigation as Trump wanted.  This crosses the line because a president must not interfere with law enforcement investigations, especially when his own staffers are the subject of those investigations (several of which have already plead, or been found, guilty of felonies).  I couldn’t care less if you think the Mueller investigation is a “witch hunt:” allowing an official to stop investigations into his own people is flatly fascist regardless of whether the investigation turns out to show no misconduct.  If Mr. Trump has nothing to hide, then there is no reason to obstruct this investigation.

Second, this evening Trump revoked the clearance of CNN’s White House Correspondent, Jim Acosta, resulting in the veteran reporter being unable to step foot on White House property.  The justification given by the Trump administration is that he “assaulted” a woman during a press conference.  Take 20 seconds to watch this alleged assault:

A White House intern attempted to take a microphone from Acosta, reaching over and grabbing at him, and Acosta’s arm grazed hers in the process.  It is clear that Acosta committed no “assault,” but rather that Trump was upset at Acosta’s line of questioning and thus ordered him removed.  The only assault here was Trump’s upon the press and upon the First Amendment, and for this, and for blatantly lying to the American public about what happened, Trump has also crossed a line.

Today, protests will occur across the country focused on Trump’s attempt to obstruct the Mueller investigation.  You may find your local event here.  Whether you vote Red, Blue, or are colorblind, ask yourself if the above is ok, and if not, step outside and let the White House know.

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Turkish President Orders Body Guards to Beat Up American Protesters In DC: This Is Why We Don’t Allow Thugs Into the White House

fuck_erdoganWith all of the scandals going on in D.C. surrounding the President, it can be hard to focus on a few people being assaulted.  But the 9 people injured, one seriously, near the White House in a brawl started by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan deserves attention for two reasons.

First, Erdoğan is a thug and should not have been invited to the White House.  He is well-known for arresting and beating up protesters in his own country.  He is well-known for misogyny, stating that women are not equal to men and their role in society is “motherhood.”  And he is well-known for media censorship, not just in his own country, but going so far as to sue in a German court against a man who published a satirical poem disfavorable to him (poem below!).  You would think given that, when he was in the political minority, he was imprisoned for reciting a poem of his own, he would have aspired not to do the same, but I digress.  This is not who we should be hosting, as he does not share the value common to those who enjoy living in a free society.

Second, a recently released analysis of video of the brawl shows that Erdoğan himself ordered the assault.  His personal bodyguard can be heard to say, “he says attack,” immediately after speaking with Erdoğan.  His guards than rush to violence against a small group of protesters, allegedly from a political party that Erdoğan cutely labels “terrorists.”

Think about that for a second: a foreign head-of-state just ordered an attack on Americans on American soil.

We can’t prosecute these men because they have diplomatic immunity, but we can certainly expel the Turkish Ambassador, as Sen. John McCain has suggested (note that I don’t join in Sen. McCain’s depiction of Turkey as a “third world” country).  That would be a good start.  The State Department is investigating.

And, you know, not inviting thugs to the White House.

 

Defamation Poem, by Jan Böhmermann (translated)

Stupid as fuck, cowardly and uptight,
Is Erdogan, the president,
His gob smells of bad döner,
Even a pig’s fart smells better,
He’s the man who hits girls,
While wearing a rubber mask,
But goat-fucking he likes the best,
And having minorities repressed,

Kicking Kurds,
Beating Christians,
While watching kiddie porn,
And even at night, instead of sleep,
It’s time for fellatio with a hundred sheep,

Yep, Erdogan is definitely
The president with a tiny dick,
Every Turk will tell you all,
The stupid fool has wrinkly balls,
From Ankara to Istanbul,
They all know the man is gay,
Perverted, louse-infested, a zoophile,
Recep Fritzl Priklopil

Head as empty as his balls,
Of every gang-bang party he’s the star,
Till his cock burns when he has a piss,
That’s Recep Erdogan,
The Turkish president.

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